Missoula County looks to settle jail lawsuit

Missoula County is considering offering to build two outdoor compounds at its detention center in an effort to settle a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union over a lack of outdoor recreation for female and juvenile inmates.

The Missoulian reports building the fenced cement slabs would cost $172,000 while the jail would have to hire six more staffers at a cost of $350,000 a year.

County chief administrative officer Dale Bickell says the law firm representing the county recommended it try to reach a settlement.

The ACLU filed the federal class-action lawsuit last September on behalf of three female inmates who claimed they and the juvenile inmates received substandard treatment compared to the male inmates because they did not have the same access to outdoor recreation.